New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-16
SUPPLEMENT.
PAGES 9 TO IL.
GRANT AND SUMNER.
o,nrNTs OF OPEN RELATIONSHIP
FRIENDLY AND OTHER WISE.
CoDuriUhI 1897.

FRIENDLY AND OlHCn "ASH'
Copyright 1887.
c,u,,sr had hoped to DO Secretary of state uhaer
cn.nt His authorizations indeed began earlier st''i'
II WA positively arranged at the time Vi 'Ao ".
neachment of An trow johnson tnat no "s' W
th. State Department if Wade had Como 'h'o 'no
Prcsideucy; aud even under Lincoln thore "as "a
oeoas,on whom he expected 10 suppi~"' %" -.
IT. ,honob, himself especially fit for the post ana II
requirement and ornate eloquence were tue p,"..
raouisit.s for Secretary of State ne might nave
s,l.d tina no.ition with certain degree OF DILL
fancy. IL t.;.n..
Rnt thouqh with Summers consent, MS iio"u'
rrassad bis name for the first position III 'n0
Cabinet Grant never for % monent enter'a'nou .no
idoa NJ Amounting him. There was ihaoou i'''''
oonqruity between the plain ana ainoSo iues'"
soldier used to war and actual STRIFE 10 d'roctins
armies ADD planning campaigns and inc po'isheo
rhetorician tho elaborate student OF phrases the
man of tho closet. the Senate and OF society
Sumner always felt-perhaps with many others-
that the career of the soldier should have ciosed
with tho war. Arna oedant tog1 was always IN
their hearts IL not upon their lips Chase and
Seward and Stanton, and some Of their Successors
felt Themselves better equipped in the arts Of
craftsmanship than thew believ ed mere warrior
could be- and they were undoubtedly jealous OF the
civic honors given to those who they thought
should have bean content with military rewards
But tho people did not agree with them 1t was
fosgone conclusion from the CLOSE of the war that
Grant should be the next President. In all ages
the successful commander is the most generally
popular Of the aspirants for public favor. and IN
Grants case tho highest hcnors of the State were
absolutely pressed upon him, not only unsought,
but at first undesired
Sumner was slow in accepting the situation. put
foIt 60 I mn Ha n
favor of Grant dnrinR tho Presidential canvass OF
1858. After this he expected the appointment to
tho State Department The world knows that he
was disappointed in his expectations Still at irst
Grant had "a high appreciation of Summers char
acter and ability. They had not been thrown
together intimately, but Grant admired the stead
fast position Of the antslav cry CHAMPION just as
he always admired steadness whether in friend
or foe. tie believed in Summers scholarship, which
he had he ard Of but could not verify he fancied
that Sumner o statesman and he felt the
remains of the Indignation which burst out all over
the North after the dastardly attack OF Brooks,
that elevated the victim into Q martyr
Sumner had been for years on intimate terms
with Fish had dined at Fishs house weekly while
thew were togetner.n the Senate; and had been
constant visitor at Fish's homes in town and
country in New-York. Fish had seen Sumner often
in Paris while he lay suffering from the blows
received in the Senate chamber. Tins when Fish
entered the Cabinet he naturally turned to his old
associate and friend, who had been more Lately
familiar with high politics than himself; for Fish
had been ont of the public service for twelve years.
while Sumner was at that time chairman of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. Tho Official
relations tho two brought them at once into close
compsnionshp. Before Grants Administration
was three months old Motley sent to England
xuhn atnfar a
would at most have heen returned to Vienna
But almost immediately Summers dictatorsl dis
position and imperious behavior began to mako
trouble. Tho Observation-Disclosures Treaty was still
before the Senate when Grant became President,
and without consulting the Administration Sumner
made lis famous speech in April 1859, in which he
claimed that the war had been doubled In
duration by the English Intervention" and that
England was responsible for the additional eI-
penditure" this country thus incurred From
Summers position in the Senate and his well-kuown
personal relations with Fish the country would
have q right to presume that these views were
shared by the Administration, and this speech at
once compelled the President and the Secretary of
State to consider and define their own position. 1t
was very different from Summers They hold that
thouph England had been most unfrendly in her
prompt recognition Of Southern belligeroncy. she
was vet within her rights an independent nation
in max ing the recognition; and they were far from
maintaining that she was responsible for all tho
subsequent or consequential damages. When
therefore, Summers view was presented to the
Administration by Motley as the basis for his own
instructions, it was necessarily rejected AT this
Sumner became very indignant. and at times
almost offensive in behavior. He considered the
rejection o personal slight to himself, and
threatened as have already stated, to toll Motley
to resign. Nevertheless for q while he retained a
show of amicable relations with the Government.
/ remember that dined with him night or two
before LEFT Washington to accompany Motley to
England, aud he was IN high Spirits though fancy
he had not then seen Motley's final instructions.
which were only concluded at tho last moment and
reached the Minister Just - he was about to SAIL
Sumner wrote me once while was in England
oHuse letter defending himself against the crti-
cisms of his former English friends, who were all
very indignant at the position he had assumed. lie
gave me leave to use the letter. and sometimes
tried to explain to ono two that seemed to them
most offensive in his views; but with little success.
returned to Washington four months later. and
during the wintor the question OF ST. Domingo came
up. wan never taken into the confidence OF those
who originated that scheme. and know no moro OF
it than tho public knows The President once OF
twice spoke of it to me. and expressed desire for
the ratification Of tho treaty. and wrote ono or
two articles in favor Of it for the newspapers.
because it was an Administration measure. l
learned the general arguments that were offered
from public point of Wow. ana thought there
were reasons why the acquisition of territory In st
Domingo was desirable; bnt the President did not
seem to me to have SGT his heart so much upon the
measure az was afterward seen to be tho fact !
believe it was the heat of tho contest that made
him % eager for success at last; for he had tho
soldiers instinct In civic affairs; whom no was
once engaged in battle no was profoundly anxious
to Wild.
Sumner General Grant told me. at first acquiesced
In tho scheme; but he afterward opposed 1t
bitterly. Those who surrounded Grant thought
that the opposition was moro on personal than